Twins or Twin?
by taste.the.rainbow120
Summary: Hermione and Ron are happily married, and Hermione is pregnant with twins. Everything is going well. Until one of the twins disappears. How far will they go to save their child? And what happens when they find out whos behind it? rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**A/N: ok, this is my first fanfic. So, please review! thnxx and enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

Hermione burst noisily into the kitchen of the little cottage. She clutched her stomach, worried thoughts racing through her mind. Her forehead creased as she noticed the freckled, red-headed man sitting at her-THEIR- kitchen table. However, this morning, Hermione was slightly wary approaching him, much unlike their usual routine, as she remembered the task ahead.

"Ron..." she called.

"Mmm?"

"I-I don't know how to say this..."

"What is it? You can tell me." Ron said, while spreading butter on a piece of toast. Rather, he pointed his wand at the knife, which was spreading butter on his toast.

Hermione gulped. "I-I'm...I'm pregnant."

There were a few moments of silence between them. Then suddenly...

"WHAT??!"

Hermione cringed. "Well, I thought you would take it a little better than that...."

"No, no...I-" Ron gathered himself. "That's great!" He chuckled.

"...Really?" Hermione asked, unsure what to make of his response.

"Yes! Really. I think that we are both ready. And weren't you saying just the other day how you wanted-"

"Yes, yes, I know..." Hermione cut him off. She remembered that discussion very vividly. It had been about this very matter-having a baby. What it would mean for them. But although she was now pregnant, it did not mean that she was ready to be proved wrong easily. Even to her husband.

"Well...do you suppose that we should tell mum?" Ron questioned, ridding Hermione of her thoughts.

"Yes. That would probably be a good idea...she'll want to know as soon as possible."

Ron grabbed her hand and together, they apparated to the burrow.

__

_Pop! _As suddenly as ever, the two of them were suddenly standing among what appeared to be dozens of red-heads, crowded in a cozy room filled with mix-matched furniture. Hermione glanced around, taking in the familiar flowered wallpaper, and the worn wizard chess set cast aside on the scuffed coffee table.

"Oh, my!" Came a sudden cry. Hermione spun around, to face Mrs. Weasley herself. Hermione felt her face break into a wide grin.

"G'morning, mum." Ron said, his voice muffled in Mrs. Weasley's embrace.

"Oh, and dear Hermione, too!" she smiled, pulling Hermione in for a hug.

She released the couple, to look them up and down.

"Tsk, tsk. Has he been feeding you?" Mrs. Weasley asked Hermione.

Hermione laughed, "Oh, yes, I'm fine, I assure you."

Suddenly, Ron and Hermione were surrounded by everyone. They were all talking so fast, it was difficult to understand any of it.

"How have you been?"

"It's good to see you!"

"Everything alright?"

She heard Ron laughing as he yelled, "ENOUGH!"

When at last, all was quiet, he called, "We have a bit of an announcement. Hermione, would you like to tell them?"

She was taken slightly aback by this. She had not been expecting to do this right away, but, then, she supposed it _was _what they came here to do...Hermione arranged her face into what she hoped was a happy, delighted expression and said, "We are having a baby!"

All calmness abandoned, the room erupted into cheers and shouts.

Ginny and Harry pushed their way up to the couple.

"We're so happy for you!" Ginny exclaimed. She was holding a small, black haired bundle that Hermione knew to be James, Ginny and Harry's son. Lily trailed behind them.

"That's so great! You guys will be fantastic parents." Harry grinned, his jet-black hair looking more tousled than ever.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. It would be okay. At least, everyone else seemed to think so. Having a baby would be a good thing.

Then, George came towards them with Angelina. They both wore big smiles, and Angelina was cradling a small, freckle-faced boy.

"Fred!" Hermione grinned at the baby in Angelina's arms. Little Fred was just a year old. However, George seemed to have another matter on his mind. He asked the one question that Hermione had completely forgotten.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, after everyone had had a good sleep, Hermione awoke early. Suddenly, images from the night before overtook her head, and she smiled. Hermione turned and rested her head against the large lump next to her.

"Morning, hon." she said softly. The lump shifted slightly.

"Errg," muttered Ron, groggily.

Hermione smiled, content with this position. She could lie here forever, next to Ron, with thoughts of the new baby flitting through her mind...she closed her eyes, before sleep left her completely...

"UP! Time to get up! We have places to go, things to do; this baby is not going to wait for you, you know!" Molly's voice called loudly, pushing away all thoughts of calmness and sleep.

Hermione sighed as she got out of the comfortable bed, surrendering to the call of Mrs. Weasley. Ron, meanwhile, still lay in bed, moaning.

"Just a little longer...the blueberries need to get back to the castle..." he moaned, still half asleep.

Hermione giggled. Ron never was one for mornings.

"You heard your mum. Got to get up, Ronnykins!" she said sweetly.

He groaned at the cheesy nickname. "'Mione, can't we just do what we want for once?"

She laughed lightly and gave a sweet smile, the one that she knew Ron could not resist.

"Hey, that's not fair...I don't have a cute smile that lets me do what I want!" He complained, with a sheepish grin.

Hermione merely twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, wearing an alluring expression, waiting for Ron to admit defeat.

There was laughter in his eyes as he moaned and finally pulled himself out of bed. "Fine..." she heard him mutter under his breath.

Hermione changed for the day, while Ron undressed to take a shower ("Sausage for breakfast?" he asked jokingly, receiving a stern look from Hermione, although he definitely detected a twinkle in her eyes). At last, the pair made their way downstairs to the bustling kitchen.

"Finally!" Molly called. "I thought you had fallen back asleep."

She moved about the kitchen in a frenzy, gathering dishes and assorted food items. Ron caught Hermione's eye, both of them concealing grins.

Percy sauntered into the kitchen, Audrey at his side. Behind them came George, Angelina, and little Fred.

"Where's the rest of the family?" asked Ron, glancing around. "Last I checked, we had more midgets running around."

Molly gave him a disapproving look as she placed plates heaped with bacon, eggs, and pancakes in front of both Ron and Hermione.

"They are all at Bill and Fleur's," said George. "They wanted to play on the new toy broom they bought for Victoire's birthday. But Fred didn't want to play on it..._we think he's scared_," he added in a whispered tone.

"No I'm not!" Fred stomped, furious for being called scared...even if it was true.

"George! Don't be so rude! See, now he's upset, which could lead to violence. In my parenting books, it says to always be encouraging!"

At this, George groaned. "Are you still reading that Muggle rubbish?"

Angelina sniffed. "So what if I am? And-and you shouldn't be so discriminating against Muggles. There's some good advice in there." she said, patting Fred's small head.

He leaned towards Ron and Hermione, who had been sitting bemusedly through the whole encounter, and whispered, just loud enough so only they could hear, "I'll tell, you, someone needs to toss that book of hers. She eats that stuff up like mum's home-cooked pancakes. Speaking of which..." he trailed off, picking one of Ron's pancakes up off his plate with the flick of his wand.

"Hey!"

"Relax, 'Ronnykins'," he said through a mouthful of pancake, stifling laughter.

"WHAT??! You-you heard..." Ron sputtered, turning a deep shade of fuchsia.

"Extendable ears-still one of our greatest inventions." George grinned.

Ron sunk deep into his chair, while Hermione, oblivious to the exchange, suddenly looked up from _The Daily Prophet_.

"Ron, have you read this?" She questioned, a hint of panic in her voice.

He and George looked over, forgetting their conversation.

"What is it?"

She sighed irritably. "It-they-Parkinson and Draco..." she stammered.

"Spit it out, Hermione." said George.

She had now attracted the attention of Molly, Percy, Audrey, and Fred, who had been teasing Percy about the mustache he had been trying to grow. They stared at her expectantly.

Hermione looked around the room at each of them. "Malfoy." She said at last.

"So? Who cares about him?" Asked Ron.

She sighed irritably. "Apparently Malfoy and Pansy had a kid...and he's a squib." She said, a hint of a smile on her otherwise grim face. "So much for pure blood, huh?"

At this, George, Angelina, Audrey, Molly, and even Percy began to hoot with laughter. Little Fred, who was still so young that he did not entirely understand, looked around at the room full of adults, a puzzled expression on his face.

When the laughter had subsided, Hermione began to talk once more.

"But that's not all," she said slowly. "Apparently, the Malfoy's were so furious that they tried to disown him. Their own son!" She cried, outraged.

Molly gasped. "Well I never..." She began, but no one knew entirely what she had been about to say, for Hermione continued.

"It says here that they tried multiple ways to force magic upon him, but as you know, that is just not possible. Malfoy and Parkinson-well they're both now Malfoy's now, I suppose- finally gave up, but their son is now at St. Mungos. They are going to perform a memory charm on him and send him into the Muggle adoption center. Neither one of them want anything to do with him."

"That's horrible!" cried Angelina, and Audrey shook her head furiously in agreement.

"Oh, that's not all," said Hermione darkly. "Now the Malfoy's say that they want another child, but something happened to Pansy so she can't give birth anymore...they don't say why, I think it was something to do with those illegal dark objects that they got busted using in their home. They somehow got out of having to go to Azkaban, of course..." she muttered furiously.

"Go on..." Angelina prodded, wanting more information.

"Anyways," Hermione continued, "They want a kid with magical abilities that they can raise on their own. And although that's basically where the article ends, you know the Malfoy's. The will do whatever it takes to get their own kid."

By now, the group around Hermione was frowning, many of them appeared deep in though.

"I just hope they don't do anything they'll regret. Well, that anyone else will regret, at least." she concluded.

"Yeah right...Malfoy being a good little boy and doing what's right? Ha. When Crumple-Horned Snorckacks prove their existence." Ron bellowed.

Hermione giggled.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N: thnx for reviews! :) hope u like this chapter.**

**disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

The Weasley family sat around the kitchen table, the smell of warm pancakes still fresh in the air.

"Well, why are we just sitting here? This is Malfoy's problem, not ours." decided Ron.

Angelina stood up as well. "Yes, I have to agree. Sad though it is," she sniggered "I really should go down to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and check up on things. And you," she gestured to George, "need to come to."

"What about me?" asked Fred, tugging on Angelina's shirt.

"We can watch him," Audrey volunteered, touching Percy's elbow. Percy made a face, but Audrey pretended not to notice.

"Thanks," said Angelina, appreciatively.

"No problem," she smiled.

Angelina bent down towards Fred, and kissed him on the forehead.

"We'll be back in a few hours," she told him. "Be good for Aunt Audrey."

"Don't worry, I'm always good." Fred beamed.

"Always?" George laughed, standing behind Angelina.

"See you in a little bit, hon," Angelina said, choosing to ignore George's comment.

George bent down to ruffle Fred's dark red hair. "See you around, buddy." He smiled.

Fred grinned back up at him. "Bye!" he called.

But the couple was already gone, with a small _pop!_

The remaining members of the family stood around the kitchen table, littered with the empty plates and dishes from breakfast, and Hermione's open copy of _The Daily Prophet._ Ron, who had gulped down his breakfast quite quickly, stood up to put his dishes away. But before he could even move, Hermione had flicked her wand and they flew immediately into the sink, where the scrub brush in turn began cleaning them.

"Thanks, dear." Ron smiled at her.

Hermione responded with a grin, and stood up as well, setting the newspaper down, from which a sneering Malfoy stood next to the new Mrs. Malfoy. Ron, not bearing to look at his face, quickly closed it, to the front cover.

"Ready to go to St. Mungos?" asked Mrs. Weasely.

"I believe we are," said Hermione.

And with that, those three, as well, were gone with a _pop!_, leaving only Audrey, Percy, and a lonely looking Fred in the Weasely kitchen.

--

That day, coincidentally, seemed to be quite a busy one for the St. Mungos staff. There were a variety of witches and wizards in the waiting room, all, as usual, sporting some strange symptom. Meanwhile, healers, in blue robes, were bustling about. Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasely walked purposely towards the front desk.

"Hello, we are here for a pregnancy," said Mrs. Weasely to the witch behind the counter.

The witch, Hermione noticed, bore a large mole on her cheek, and her hair seemed to have a tint of purple. The woman smiled and pointed to a large sign posted nearby, telling of all the different floors and their uses. "Third floor, I believe."

Mrs. Weasely nodded and the three of them hurried towards a large elevator, which transported them to the third floor. Here, they found another sign telling them where to go. Following the directions, they found a small room painted a pale blue. The room had a faint scent of urine, although above that was the smell of lilacs, as though someone had done a poor job of covering it up. However, the blue walls were somehow calming, and Hermione lowered herself onto a chair. Ron stood beside her, and Mrs. Weasely took the second chair. They waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity, although in all it was probably no more than 10 minutes. Finally, a witch in blue robes walked in, her blonde hair gleaming so magnificently that it was almost blinding. Her upturned nose and round face glowed with radiance, and her small lips were the color of pink lemonade. Her large, blue eyes seemed to twinkle kindly. Hermione smacked Ron on his arm, making him jump. He arranged his face into what he hoped was a careless look, and took care to look at the healer's feet.

"Good morning," the witch smiled. "I'm Fiona, and I'll be helping you through this pregnancy," she said, giving Hermione such a sweet smile that she couldn't help feeling more cheerful. And with that, her outlook on everything changed. Her worrisome feelings felt at ease, knowing that Fiona was here for her. The meeting went by quickly, and Fiona had managed to find that Hermione was in fact, having twins, although the genders were yet unknown. She also told her that the approximate due date would be in February.

"If you have anything you would like to ask, or have any worries, please send me an owl, or drop by." Fiona told Hermione and Ron kindly. "If everything goes smoothly, you can come back in August to find out the genders. I think they will have developed by that time."

"Thank you, for everything." Hermione said, truly appreciative.

"Anytime,"

Ron and Mrs. Weasely gave their regards, and then they were off, back to the Burrow. Upon arriving, however, Ron, Hermione, and Molly took in what was another mess, entirely.

**A/N: mwa haha. cliff hanger. gotta wait until tomorrow to find out! plz review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"For the love of Merlin..." Molly trailed off. But that didn't even cover it. What lay before Ron, Hermione, and Molly was nothing short of disaster. Fred had apparently managed to destroy every piece of furniture in the house, including a vase that had belonged to Molly's mother ("Oh my! The last heirloom...") and the wizard chess set ("Damn. That was a good one...all trained and everything.") Audrey appeared from the kitchen, gasping and out of breath. Percy emerged behind her, appearing in the same manner.

"He-he said that he wanted to-to go..." Audrey panted, trying to explain what had happened.

"Fred wanted to go to Bill and Fleur's, but when we told him he had to stay here, he sort of balled his fists up and..." Percy, too, seemed at loss for words.

"He made everything explode. All at once." Audrey finally managed. "Then Percy and I tried to look for him, but we couldn't find him anywhere..."

Mrs. Weasely, who had at first appeared so furious she couldn't speak, now cleared her face of anger and, most surprisingly, gave a large smile. "His first time! He used magic!" she squealed, quite unlike her normal self. Suddenly, Ron and Hermione knew what had happened.

"So now he'll be accepted to Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

"Yes, yes in several years time. He's only 4, but it seems he is developing his magic early." Molly smiled. "We will have to inform George and Angelina when they return! They will be so pleased!"

For the time being, however, they had to clean up. Fred appeared shortly after they had begun repairing the furniture, after hearing from behind the annihilated couch that he would not be scolded. "Just try to keep better control, dear!" Mrs. Weasely had told him happily.

The adults split up to repair the furniture. Shouts of "Reparo!" could be heard from all over the house. Once, when Ron and Hermione had found themselves alone in the same room together, had begun to kiss passionately. They only stopped when Fred had unknowingly walked in, and the pair was forced to part ways for the time being and continue cleaning. At last, most of the mess had been tidied up, and the family dragged themselves into the kitchen for a well-deserved dinner.

"Well, that took some time, didn't it?" Molly sighed, lowering herself into one of the chairs. "After cleaning up that vase, I put and Unbreakable charm on it. That should hold it together for awhile, don't you think?"

"I'm really sorry, everyone," Fred said feebly. "I didn't mean to...I didn't even know I could do that."

"Oh, no, dear, it's quite alright. You couldn't help it." Mrs. Weasely comforted. "In fact, your mum and dad should be home any minute now..."

And, as if on cue, George and Angelina appeared in the room, next to Fred.

"There you are!" Molly cried happily.

"Here we are!" George exclaimed, equally joyful, although not entirely sure what all the excitement was about.

Angelina bent down towards Fred. "Hello, dear. Had a nice day?" she cooed.

At this Percy looked ruffled. He coughed, and his wife gave him a dirty look. Angelina and George, unaware of what had happened, looked on slightly confused. Upon seeing his parents' faces, Fred looked down at the floor guiltily.

"Well you see," began Hermione, but was interrupted by an excited Mrs. Weasely.

"Fred has done his first bit of magic!" she exclaimed. "He destroyed all the furniture, down to bits!"

Ron chuckled, having never seen his mum so excited about this bit of information.

"Really?!" Angelina gasped, looking disbelieving from Molly to Fred. She smiled and gave her son a tight hug, from which he let out a muffled "Oof!"

George, too, seemed elated. "That's my boy!" he exclaimed, giving Fred a second, large hug.

The Weasely family sat about a while longer, talking excitedly about the days happenings, before Ron and Hermione decided it was time for them to be heading off to bed. "'Night, everyone!" called Ron, before taking Hermione's hand apparating with her, back to their cottage which they now called home.

--

Laughing, Hermione pulled Ron close to her once reaching the vicinity of their cottage. "I love you." she whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," Ron whispered back.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**A/N: thank you, to everyone who reviewed! (all 5 of you lol!) well, here's another chapter. I know, it's a lot shorter. but i thought it was enough. :)**

**Disclaimer: whoops! I didn't do this for the last chapter. my bad lol! Well, this is for both chapters than: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Hermione was only vaguely aware of her surroundings as she held Ron's large hand in her small one, and pulled him into their bedroom. Grinning mischievously, she pushed Ron into the wall, and, leaning closer, kissed him slowly, deliberately, up his neck. Ron moaned and softly ran his fingers through her hair, before kissing her gingerly on the lips. Slowly, the kiss became more passionate, until somehow, the couple found themselves on the large bed, in the center of the room.

Finally, the kiss broke apart. Hermione and Ron met each other's eyes. Each wore a hungry expression, of pure desire. Suddenly, they bent closer once more, kissing more intensely than ever. Ron hurried to unbutton Hermione's shirt, while she had already pulled off Ron's and threw it to the floor. Now, Hermione focused herself on the task of removing Ron's pants. She undid the zipper and pulled them off slowly, looking into Ron's eye's alluringly. He stared back, a look of hunger on his face. He fumbled clumsily with Hermione's bra strap, and then, they were suddenly immersed together. It was almost impossible to tell where one body ended and another began.

A large pile of clothes now lay on the floor beside the bed, and two wands lay next to each other on the bedside table.

"I love you," Ron muttered into Hermione's ear, as she lay on top of him. She paused, and then whispered back affectionately, "I love you too,"

Hermione, on top of Ron, had never felt happier. She felt light, and free. Ron groaned softly and tugged gently at her hair. He kissed her lips, and moved his hands down to her chest. She felt her mouth curve into a smile, delighted. Hermione moved her hand caressingly down Ron's front, feeling each of his chest muscles beneath it. She felt Ron shudder with pleasure as she moved her hands lower and lower. Now she was touching his thigh. He ran his fingers down Hermione's arm, giving her goose bumps. He moved back towards her chest, and then caressed her, lower and lower, to Hermione's stomach. Here he traced circles on her pelvis while still lip-locked with Hermione. Now he moved his hands up and down her back, and she lowered herself completely on top of him. He held one hand against the back of her neck, and the other on her cheek, fully immersed in the kiss.

The couple tumbled around, and switched positions. Now she lay on her back, looking up at Ron's handsome face. Somehow, in this moment, Hermione felt _right_. She was where she was supposed to be in life. She had a good job at the Ministry, as an official in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, a perfect husband, and now, would be having her first child. _Children_ she corrected herself. At this, she smiled thoughtfully. Beautiful twins. She could see herself with them, playing and teaching them, Ron at her side. Yes, she thought. This is where I am supposed to be. Looking up at Ron, she pulled him closer yet, and kissed him fiercely.

At long last, the couple lay next to each other, panting and out of breath. Hermione's head rested on Ron's muscular chest, and her breathing slowed, calmly. She closed her eyes, happily.

"That," Ron finally said, after several minutes of content silence, "was some of the best sex I ever had."

At this, Hermione pulled her head off of his chest and laughed airily. She leaned toward him and kissed him softly on his pink lips. "Then the feeling is mutual." she smirked.

**A/N: ;) (plz review XD)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**A/N: chapter 6 already!! whoa...lol. well...happy reading! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

Hermione awoke the following morning in high spirits. She and Ron lay together for awhile, soaking up all the bliss from the night before. Finally, the pair got grudgingly up out of the bed. Hermione began to make some eggs and toast for them, while Ron took a shower. Upon entering the cheery cottage kitchen, he walked towards Hermione, already at the table, and gave her a mighty hug from behind. She put down her toast, which she had been nibbling off of while reading _The Daily Prophet_, her usual routine. Hermione turned around and hugged him back.

She could not help but get a warm, cozy feeling in her stomach whenever Ron was present. She let him hold her in his arms for several minutes. He did not say anything, just pet her hair. Finally, after their long embrace, Hermione pulled herself away so that Ron could actually eat.

The couple ate in what would have been silence, besides the frequent giggles emitted from Hermione, as Ron would catch her eye and make funny faces. Hermione, in turn, would copy him and make the same face, so that Ron would chuckle. At one point, Hermione made a face just as Ron had taken a swig of his pumpkin juice, making him squirt it out his nose. Hermione chortled as she quickly pulled out her wand and cleaned up the mess.

After some time of this, both of them had finished eating, and Hermione sent the dished into the sink, and performed the same charm she had on Mrs. Weasley's dishes, so that the scrub brush began to clean them.

"Well, what do you say we should do today?" asked Ron, after they had stopped making faces.

"Hmm, good question. I don't believe we have any plans, do we?" Hermione mused.

"Nope,"

"Well, maybe we could go to Diagon Ally and get some shopping done. We could pick out some things for the twins!" she suggested, happy to have come to such a good conclusion.

"Okay!" Ron agreed. "Let's go then,"

--

Hermione and Ron shopped around for awhile. They found some cute baby clothes at Madam Malkin's, but since they didn't know the genders of the babies, they decided to get the clothes later. Hermione found some good books on young witches and wizards, which she decided would be useful, so she bought 2 different books on the subject.

Finally, after a long morning of shopping, Hermione pulled Ron through the door of Three Broomsticks, laughing at something Ron had said. Madam Rosmerta, who had aged much since their Hogwarts days, took their orders and left to get their drinks.

After several minutes of chatter between the couple, Hermione spotted the only thing that could have downed her day. "Malfoy," she muttered furiously, grinding her teeth.

Ron glanced around at where his wife was staring, a look of hate in her eyes so deep that even Ron felt slightly wary. Seeing Malfoy, however, he understood completely. The lanky, white-blonde man sitting at a table nearby was too busy snogging the chubby, dark haired woman next to him to notice Ron and Hermione, who were both staring at the couple with a look of revulsion. When the pair finally resurfaced for air, Hermione saw that the woman was actually Pansy Parkinson. Pansy _Malfoy_, she corrected herself, raising her brows. The name just didn't sound right on her tongue.

Draco, finally looking up, had noticed Ron and Hermione staring. However, he had apparently mistaken their looks of disgust for desire.

"Fascinated, are you?" asked Malfoy rudely. "I'm not surprised. Neither of you two would know how getting kissed like that feels, would you?" he sneered.

"Hah! Do we know? We've only been there a thousand times!" Ron boasted. "But a git like you wouldn't understand that, would you?"

Malfoy snorted. "You make me _laugh_. Why would anyone go near that filthy mud-blood?"

At this, Ron stood up and drew his wand, his face contorted with hatred. "_You take that back._" he spit.

Hermione was now standing as well. She pushed Ron's wand arm down, and muttered into his ear, "It's not worth it; scum like him is not worth it Ron!"

After several long seconds of debate, Hermione had persuaded Ron, and he lowered his wand.

"Need you wife to take care of you, do you?" Malfoy scoffed. "I know that I, as a man, am the one to take care of my wife!" he said, snaking his arm around Pansy's waist. Pansy gave Hermione a haughty look, that seemed to say, "Don't you wish you were me?", although Hermione thought she'd have rather laid down and died than be married to Malfoy.

"But actually," Ron added pompously, "Hermione's pregnant!"

Through the look of smugness on Malfoy's face, Hermione thought she detected a flicker of interest.

"Oh really?" he asked, clearly thrown off course.

Ron jutted his chin out, daring him to question it further. He wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist. Hermione, however, wished to be with Ron anywhere else. Why couldn't these boys just shut up and leave each other alone?

Malfoy gave Ron and Hermione both a look of pure contempt. Although he said nothing, the look on his face made Hermione cringe; it was a look that she had seen many times before, always meaning something horrible. It was the look he had right after Buckbeak had kicked him and he had decided to get Hagrid sacked, and the look right before he told the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione that he had been chosen to be a part of the Inquisitorial Squad, during Umbridge's short reign at Hogwarts. No, that look could definitely not mean anything good.

**A/N: oooooo and the plot thickens! ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**A/N: so....heres chapter 7! :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

After the incident at Three Broomsticks, the rest of Hermione's week seemed to have a gloomy appeal. She wished that she could push back time and steer herself and Ron far away from the Three Broomsticks that day, so that the incident with Malfoy would never have happened. Time, unfortunately, pulled on, and Hermione was forced to as well. And with all the preparation for the babies, it was, surprisingly, not all that difficult to forget. Molly had suggested that to take it off of her mind, she and Ron start focusing instead on a nursery for the twins. Hermione had thought this a grand idea, and went to work at once, picking out colors and patterns. Hermione invited over Luna and Ginny one day to help and Harry came as well. Neville would have come, but he had to be at Hogwarts for Herbology. Since the school year would be ending soon, he said it was more important than ever to prepare his pupils for O.W.L.S. Hermione, having been almost aggressively intent on doing well in her O.W.L.S., understood this completely.

The men sat in the spare room where the nursery would be in the cottage, mulling over their Hogwarts days. Normally Hermione would have found this quite rude to leave the women to do all the work, but today she was perfectly happy. Between nursery concerns, she, Ginny, and Luna chatted about old times.

"Oooh, that is such a pretty blue!" Luna gasped, "And you could pair it with this nice white crib."

"But don't forget you'll need two cribs!" said Ginny, flipping through _Witch Weekly, Baby Edition_.

"Hmm, but what if the babies are girls? Or there could be one of each! What then?" Hermione fretted.

Ginny turned to Hermione and gave her a stern look, which she paired with a giant hug. "Don't worry Hermione; everything is going to turn out wonderfully. I promise."

Hermione looked up at her freckled face meekly. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so."

And with that, Luna, Ginny, and Hermione returned to their magazines and books, laughing and talking animatedly. The boys, meanwhile, were having their own discussion.

"Ron, do you really think that Hermione would want you to do this?" Harry asked, his brows creased together in concern.

Ron gave a heavy sigh. "I think she would. I mean, she's been saying how we need more money around here...don't say that you'll lend us some, either, Harry!" Ron added, seeing Harry's expression at his words. "No, that's just what I mean. I don't want to have to keep borrowing. I don't want to be like my mum and dad. I want to be able to afford things for my kids."

Harry gave Ron a sympathetic look. "I understand, mate. And if you think it's the right thing to do, then do it. I trust your judgment, and I know Hermione does too."

The pair chatted more about Ron's dilemma, and about Hogwarts. Eventually, though, the sky grew dark.

"Thank you so much!" Hermione told Ginny and Luna, giving them each a hug.

"Of course. I'm glad we could help." Ginny smiled widely.

"Thanks for inviting us over, Hermione. I had a lot of fun." said Luna, in her usual distant tone.

Hermione thanked both of them, and Luna apparated off. Ginny hung back to wait for Harry, who was saying good bye to Ron.

"Wish you could stay longer, mate." Ron told Harry.

"Me too. But work..." he trailed off. Ron knew as much as Harry did that Auror work was very busy, even with Voldemort gone.

"Well, see you later than." said Ron, giving Harry that familiar lopsided smile.

Harry grinned back. He took Ginny's hand and they were gone, with a _pop!_

Ron turned toward Hermione. "Pick anything out?" he asked.

"Yes, we decided on green walls with white cribs. Then, when we find out the genders, we can add to the color scheme with pink or blue."

"Sounds great! Speaking of which, don't we go back to St. Mungos in a couple of weeks?" Ron questioned.

Hermione nodded. "Yep. I'm a little nervous..."

"Aww, there's no need to be nervous, 'Mione!" Ron said, giving her a hug.

Hermione let him hold her for a long time. Being in his arms made her feel safe, like nothing could hurt her. The world could come crashing down on them, but as long as she was with Ron, she didn't care. But then...having two children could change all that, she supposed. She would need to worry about not only Ron, but her children as well. What if she ever had to pick, between Ron and her kids? She tried to push the thought out of her mind. Ginny and Harry loved each other very much, and they had three kids. And they seem perfectly happy. Hermione nodded self-consciously, reassuring herself. Yes, having kids would certainly bring change-a very big one, at that. But nothing would change between her and Ron. Never.

She hugged Ron as tight as she possibly could. Ron would always be there for her, no matter what.

**A/N: awww...i like this chapter. :) plz review! (as im sure you know by now lol. I've only told you to review like, at least once every chapter?? haha :P)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello, people of the internet! Here is chapter 8, which I'm sure you have all been dying to read. ;) And if not, well, then you get to read it anyways. Enjoyyy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

Weeks passed by. Hermione and Ron busied themselves with the nursery, and Harry and Ginny stopped by every so often. Yes, things were definitely looking up for Hermione. Before long, it was time to go back to St. Mungos to find out the genders. Mrs. Weasely was quite busy around the Burrow, so she told Hermione and Ron that she would not be able to assist them this time. Neither Ron nor Hermione was very put off by this bit of information, and they were actually quite happy to be the only ones who would tell everyone the genders of their own babies.

The couple bid everyone good bye, and apparated to St. Mungos. They found their way to the same room they had used on the last occasion. Fiona entered a few minutes later.

"So, how are things going with the babies?" Fiona asked, eyeing Hermione's stomach, which was slowly but surely forming a large bump.

Hermione followed Fiona's gaze and looked down at her stomach. She put her hand on it and couldn't help but smile. "Great, I guess."

"Good, good. Well if you'll just let me have a look..." Fiona followed the procedure to check up on the babies. Ron waited next to Hermione, lost in thought. Hermione went through numerous tests and scans, until finally, Fiona told her that she was done for today. Ron, hearing this, looked up.

"So...do you know the genders?" he asked.

Fiona nodded, and set her parchment and quill down on the counter. "Yes, from what it looked like, there will be one boy and one girl." Fiona smiled, showing her set of perfectly straight and stunningly white teeth.

Hermione let out a huge sigh of relief. Her waiting was done. There was no more guessing. And the more Hermione thought about it, having one boy and one girl seemed like the perfect combination. It was even and exact, just the way she liked it. A boy and a girl.

She looked up at Fiona. "Thank you," she told her, "So are we free to go?"

Fiona looked again at her parchment. "Yes, for today you're done. However, I would like you to return in a few months time, to do another checkup on how it's all coming." she informed Hermione and Ron.

"Sure, no problem," Hermione nodded. Ron, too, bobbed his head.

"Well, ok then! You're free to go!" Fiona said cheerfully.

--

Hermione and Ron sat next to each other on the couch in their cozy living room. Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder, exhausted from her long day. She yawned.

Ron looked down at her. "You should get into bed." he told her. "You look tired."

"No, no I'm fine..." she murmured. It was true, she was tired. But she also wanted to sit here with Ron a little while longer. She knew the moment her head hit the pillow that she would fall asleep, but she wanted her day to last a little while longer. She snuggled closer to Ron's warm body.

He put his hand on her hair, and let it run through his fingers. She giggled. Hermione loved when Ron touched her like that. Well, let's face it, she thought. She liked it when he touched her at all, which, her heart swelled, was often.

Hermione let out a sigh, and traced patterns on his chest, while still leaning into him. Ron looked down at her, and smiled. "You're so beautiful." he said softly.

Hermione looked deep into his eyes. She moved her hands up from his chest, to his lips, where she slowly ran her fingers around the edges of. Then, lifting her head up, she kissed him softly, but compassionately. Coming out of the sweet kiss, she whispered, "You're so handsome." with a twinkle in her eye.

Ron gently sat her up, so that she was facing him directly.

"Hermione, if anything ever happened to you...I think I would have to kill myself. Life would not be worth living." he said, no trace of a smile on his face now.

Hermione felt a rush of warmth toward Ron. He was more than she could ever ask for. More than she deserved. But, he was hers. And no one else's. "Oh, Ron, sweetheart..." she murmured, tears welling in her eyes.

"'Mione, I'm sorry, please don't cry..." Ron said, in a startled tone.

Hermione quickly wiped her tears dry on the back of her sleeve. "No, no. I'm sorry, really. I-I just...oh, these damn babies." she finally managed to say. "They'll be the death of me, I swear. Now I'm all emotional..." she muttered.

At this, Ron's expression cleared and he chuckled. "You're too funny." he laughed, pushing a strand of hair away from her face. Hermione, liking the feel of his hand on her face, held it there, staring him in the eye.

Ron, seeing her beautiful face, and her hand, holding his to her cheek, made his stomach flutter. He loved her. So much.

The pair bent in towards each other, and their lips met. Slowly, then, with more fervor, the kiss grew. They pressed their bodies against each other, and Ron grabbed at the back of Hermione's head, winding a wide strand of her hair around his hand. He pulled her closer yet. Hermione, happiness overwhelming her, could not seem to get close enough to her husband. All while kissing, she felt his hand, the one not holding onto her hair, move down her chest, until it was just above her right breast. She moved it lower, so it was right on top. She could almost feel Ron's amusement at this, which, in turn, made her grin through the kiss. It all felt so good. Slowly, and grudgingly, she finally pulled away for air.

Now, Hermione pulled off her top. Ron blinked, and Hermione gave a tempting smile. Ron, not able to resist any longer, quickly pulled off his shirt as well, and the couple dove back into the kiss as wildly as before.

Hermione ran her hands over Ron's chest, as he did to her as well. Her hands moved down lower, inching towards his genitals. He copied, giving her a sexy smirk. At last, Hermione gave in and pulled herself on top of Ron, legs spread. He wrapped his arms around her and she pushed her smiling face into his chest.

**A/N: and now, for my usual words of wisdom, REVIEW! It's just that little button right down there. You see it? :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**A/N: so....sry i havent been updating as much lately! i've been super busy with a bunch of crap....speaking of which i wont be able to update this weekend at all either, so, after this, u guys r just gonna have to wait until monday! XD**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter**

The months leading up to February passed in a blur. If asked, Hermione could barely have told you what she had yesterday for breakfast, much less what had gone on the weeks before. All she knew was that, somehow, she, Ron, Harry, and Ginny had all helped finish the nursery, which was decorated in a cute blue, green, and pink theme. Also, she was quite surprised to find, there was quite a lot of baby food and other baby items such as clothes that had been arriving by owl almost every morning now, by either Mrs. Weasely, or Harry and Ginny, or Angelina and George. Either way, she was quite relieved that that aspect of the babies, she would not have to spend time worrying about. However, there was still so much whirling around in her mind, it was lucky she didn't pass out. (Get sick, however, she did. A number of times.)

Hermione sat, head in her hands, on a chair in the sitting room. She gave a heavy sigh. Her stomach had become so huge, that moving about had become difficult, and she had taken to sitting down quite often. Not knowing what to do with herself, she just sat there, in the large, fluffy chair. She held her hands against her damp forehead, and took deep breathes. She tried to push the thought of giving birth out of her mind.

The babies were coming.

Soon.

Ron sauntered into the room, causing Hermione to almost forget all her thoughts of worry. He had a knack for doing that to her, sometimes. Unfortunately, today was not one of those days. No, today, her thoughts were just too worrisome.

"Here's my beautiful wife!" he sang cheerfully.

Hermione managed a weak smile.

Ron, immediately seeing that Hermione was distressed, quickly knelt down beside her.

"Is everything okay?" he asked her carefully. "Do we need to go to the hospital?"

Hermione felt that, although touching, Ron's near constant suggestions to go to the hospital were getting a bit annoying. She had been going to St. Mungos at least once or twice a month now, and, with February coming so close, even more so. With all these visits, Hermione got more and more anxious each time, which was certainly not helping the calmness factor that Fiona kept mentioning was so very important when pregnant. Not to mention the awkwardness of her extremely large stomach. Not only this, but, as far as Hermione had heard, giving birth was not the most comfortable experience. She hoped that the Healers had some sort of spell they could use to eliminate the immense pain that she expected.

Not knowing how to put all these thoughts into one short summary, she just let out a noise between a shriek and a sigh and then the tears came out, all at once; build up from all these months when she had been pretending that everything was okay. She twisted herself so she could wrap her arms around Ron's neck. However, her stomach got in the way at first, which only made the tears pour harder, and, blinded by the sudden blurriness, Hermione struggled to find Ron and hug him tightly. She reached out and thought she felt what was perhaps the side of his arm, but she could never seem to get her arms all the way around him. Hermione let out a sort of wail that didn't quite sound like anything that had ever before come out of Hermione's mouth. All this made her cry even more substantially, and finally she just sat there, defeated, looking so unlike herself in the tear-streaked face and the red around her eyes and the sense of dejectedness emitting from her. She sat there; unaware of her surroundings, silver tears splashing down her red cheeks. All at once, Hermione felt two sturdy arms tighten around her, and, with a moan of despair, she let herself fall into them completely, and Hermione cried and cried, buried deep in Ron's arms. Ron didn't have to say anything, he just held her, and that was enough. At last, Hermione hiccupped, and fell silent, besides her quick, heavy breathing. She gave an exasperated sigh and turned her tear stained face towards her husband.

The couple did not need words to communicate. They just looked each other in the eye and a sudden sense of understanding passed through them. Hermione, with much joy, realized that she would not have to puts her thoughts to words at all. He, in this moment, knew and understood what she was thinking completely. And she understood how he felt, as well: scared, worried about his wife, and frantic about the idea of children. Words, Hermione thought, for what was perhaps the first time in her life, pointless. There was no need, in this moment.

With the thrill of a child on Christmas morning, Hermione found that she had it in her to smile after all, and, carelessly rubbing her damp cheeks, she pulled Ron into her, and kissed him deeply.

**A/N: ooooo and the plot thickens! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

** A/N: I'm soooo sry that it took me so long to post! I was grounded from the computer for awhile, and then I had homework and a busy schedule....well, I suppose you don't really care for my feeble excuses, huh? ;) i gotcha. u just want the story, than? well...i suppose....**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

"RON!!! BLOODY HELL I THINK IT'S TIME!!!" came a loud screech from the upstairs bedroom.

Ron Weasley had been preparing for this moment for weeks. Months, even. But even with all of his pre-thinking on the subject, nothing could have prepared him for this moment. His children were going to be born. All these thoughts, plus a thousand more, were racing through his mind as he sprinted upstairs to the bedroom. There, on the bed, Hermione lay, flat on her back, but trying to pull her head up to see past her massive stomach. In an instant, Ron was at her side.

"It'll be okay dear, just hold on to me...there, just like that; alright, now, to St. Mungos, then," Ron stated nervously, though he tried his hardest to conceal it. Although, it was quite a triumph that he managed to even be heard, for, Hermione was, quite consistently, screaming "DAMNIT, RON, THIS HURTS LIKE HELL!" and, "I NEED TO GET TO THE BLOODY HOSPITAL!!"

Hermione grabbed a tight hold onto Ron's shirt, and the pair vanished on the spot.

__

Hermione lay in a hospital bed at St. Mungos, clutching Ron's-by now, very pale-hand in a death grip, while in complete and utter agony. A healer stood by, ready to take action if necessary.

"IT'S...COMING..." she panted breathlessly. Her face was red, and sweat beaded on her forehead. Ron stood next to her, doing all in his power to help, which wasn't much.

The healers had already performed as many spells on her as possible to subdue the pain, plus given her a potion that was supposed to help. Although it seemed to be working, it did not make giving birth any less of a deal.

"It'll be okay Hermione, it's almost over..." Ron tried to sooth his anxious wife. She met his eyes momentarily, and gripped his arm tighter.

"AHHHHH!" she screamed suddenly, feeling another jolt. Ron jumped. He wished there was something he could do to help her at this moment...watching her lay on the hospital bed, writhing about, made him nauseous. But if Hermione could go through with this, so could he. He clutched her hand tighter, as if in doing this, it would lessen her pain.

__

Hermione held a beautiful baby boy in her arms, while Ron was cuddling a small baby girl. Hermione still lay in the hospital bed, with Ron standing beside her. The healers had left the room for the time being, to let the couple be alone with their new children. Ron was very pleased about this, and used the time to embrace his wife (as much as possible her being in the bed) and holding each of his children. He smiled down at Hermione, and she grinned broadly. Although her forehead was still damp with sweat, and she looked in need of a long rest, she was still exceedingly beautiful to Ron.

He looked down at his child, who was still wailing in his arms. He, however, saw past the loud cries, and saw the baby's contoured face, sweet and innocent in a way only a child can have.

"What are we going to name them, 'Mione?" he whispered, still starting at his adorable baby girl.

"I'm not sure..." she said thoughtfully.

Ron gazed at the boy in his wife's arms. "I think he looks like a Hugo," he finally stated.

Hermione glanced down, and stared at the child for a moment. "Yes...Hugo. I like it." she finally smiled, looking up at Ron again. "And for her," she nodded towards the girl Ron held, "Should be Rosalind,"

Thoughtfully, Ron looked down at the baby. "Hmm...maybe something a little simpler...like...Rose,"

He held his wife's gaze for a minute, wondering what she would say. After a minute, she spoke.

"I think that's perfect."

The couple grinned at each other, and Hugo and Rose lay in the protecting arms of their loving parents; nothing could ruin this moment for Ron. Not even the loud explosion coming from down the hall ("FALSE ALARM!" came a loud cry immediately after), or the loud wails of the babies in their arms, or the healer who stepped in for a moment, but quickly back stepped out after Hermione's glare. No, this was a perfect moment, with his wife, and his beautiful children safe in his and his wife's arms.

**A/N: I know, kinda short...well, I'm going to keep posting as often as possible! Please bear with me through my busy fall schedule! I do need sleep, you know! :p**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**A/N: Finally! Im sry it's been taking so long between posts, guys. I'm doing the best I can! Plz bear with me lol.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter...**

Exactly one week had passed since the birth of their children. Hermione eased herself into one of the comfy chairs in the sitting room of the cottage, clutching a cup of warm tea Ron had brewed for her. Upon noticing the dark circles under her eyes, result of many sleepless nights, Ron demanded that she take a break from the children for awhile. "I am just as much their parent as you are, meaning I should be doing just as much, if not more, work!" he had said. Even so, she couldn't help noticing his wary approach to the small infants.

She smiled at the thought. A year ago, Ron would never have dreamed of raising children. Oh, how he always used to whine about how difficult it was watching little Fred, James, Lily, Albus, and all their other nieces and nephews.

Suddenly, Hermione thought she heard a wail from the nursery where Ron currently was. She started to get up, before remembering Ron's instructions: "Take a break, sit down for awhile. I can't stand watching you so exhausted like this." At this, she was forced to remain seated. Hermione just couldn't ignore her husband's altruistic request. Hmm, the chair really was quite comfortable. And this tea was simply delightful, yes, very tasty indeed. It was so warm and soothing on her tongue...she closed her eyes, and slowly, she drifted off to sleep.

__

Ron peered into the first crib timidly. The child within it gave a huge squeal of delight upon seeing his face. Hugo's eyes lighted up, and Ron just couldn't resist the merry expression on his face. He picked him up, and cradled him gently in his arms.

"There you go, little buddy..." he murmured softly, looking kindly into the large dark eyes of his son. They were the color of rich, dark chocolate. Rose had inherited his own clear blue eyes.

Ron glided his finger gently over Hugo's soft cheek. Hugo stared up into his father's eyes with silent amusement and curiosity. From the second crib came a small cry. Quickly and tenderly, Ron lowered Hugo back into his crib, before moving over to check on Rose. He stared down at her, and saw what at first appeared to be a small mass of dark, fluffy hair. His daughter appeared almost the mirror image of his wife, except for her eyes, and long nose. He touched her cheek, and picked her up. Rose gazed up at her father with curiosity, and paused in her loud wails. Ron stroked her hair and smiled.

__

The white blonde hair of the man had darkened in color over the years. Now dark blonde in color, it blew in the wind as he paced back and forth in the court yard outside his mansion. The sky was dark, and the moon swept across the ground with an eerie glow. The man drew his wand and slashed the air furiously, causing sparks to fly. His face was contorted in frustration, as he tried to come up with a plan. He knew what he had to do...but, assuming he managed to snatch the child, or one of them (which he was confident would happen), he needed a way to raise the child as his and his wife's own. Would he really want to raise one of blood-traitor Weasley's children anyways? His brows furrowed. It had to be done. If no one knew...than it wouldn't matter anyways. As long as there was no red hair, because surly that would give them away. Well, he reasoned, there was a good possibility of brown hair, due to Mudblood Granger.

He halted, suddenly sensing a presence other than his own in the court yard. He raised his wand, prepared...

Suddenly, a dog emerged from behind a bush.

"Shoo!" he hissed, annoyed. He really was getting paranoid these days. Obligingly, the large dog turned and padded away dismally. Shaking his head, the tall man began pacing again.

Yes, taking Weasley's kid would be perfect. Not only would he have a child for him and his wife to raise on his own, but he knew that it would enrage and distress Weasely. The perfect plan. However, the only tricky part would be making sure that no one ever found out that the child wasn't pure blood. Perhaps a disguise...then he could take the kid out in public as well! Yes, a disguise would have to be arranged. And then, he and Pansy could skip town. Then the Weasley's would never find he and his wife, or their soon to be lost child.

**A/N: Yea, I know...the chapters seem to be getting shorter. Sry. :/ plz review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

**A/N: ok. chapter 12 is here. :) sry its been so slow with updates...i swear im trying! lol**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter....still.**

Ron's loud snores did not mask the loud explosion Hermione woke up to. She sat up quickly, and nudged Ron who lay motionless beside her. He was not what you would call a light sleeper.

"What was that?" she whispered.

"Huh?" Ron mumbled.

"That...noise. Just now," Hermione hissed. She climbed out of bed, and snatched her wand from the bedside table. "Be right back."

Ron, still tired, shrugged, and cozied back into the warm blankets as his wife stalked out of the room.

Hermione looked around in the hall. She could hear the children crying, so she quickly decided to check their room first. She raced down the hall, pulling to a short stop in front of the nursery. There, she gave a sudden intake of breath. She felt woozy and nearly dropped to the floor in her panic. She heard herself call for Ron, and she gripped her wand tight. Her legs felt suddenly weak, like jello, and she grasped the panel on the doorway to support herself. Hermione closed her eyes, willing this to be a dream. Not just a dream-a horrible nightmare. This could not have happened. Why? A thousand thoughts rushed through her head as she stood in the doorway, numb with shock.

"Ron..." she called again, a little louder. She heard a thump as he crawled out of bed, and his heavy footsteps echoing off the walls as he walked to her.

"What-" but he stopped short as he saw what his wife was looking so sickened at.

The couple stared, horrified, into their green, pink and blue nursery. The cribs stood tall in the center of the room, with a clear view of what was inside them. In one crib, Hugo lay, wailing, as he , too, stared into the second crib.

The second crib was empty. Rose was gone, and the window of the nursery had been busted open. The cold night wind blustered through it, ruffling Ron and Hermione's hair, and giving the whole room a cold, empty chill.

"Who would do this?" Ron said tersely, in a voice quavering with sadness and fury.

"And...Why?" Hermione whispered. A fat tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

Ron reached out his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. Hermione let herself fall into him, and he held her for a long time, as they stood there, staring into Rose's empty crib.

__

After some time, Hermione eased herself out of Ron's arms. She strode over to Hugo, and picked him up, cradling him in her arms. Ron flicked his wand at the window, and it repaired itself, all the shards finding their place once more in the large window.

Hermione looked up at Ron. "We need to find her." she stated.

Ron nodded. "Without doubt, 'Mione. We will." he answered decidedly. "I will not rest until we have our daughter back,"

"But who would do this?" Hermione asked. "And for whatever sick reason?"

Ron shook his head. "I don't--wait. Hermione, do you remember that day when we went to Diagon Ally, to shop for the babies? And we went to Three Broomsticks?"

"Yes, but I don't want to think about that right now. Remember, the Malfoy's were there, and he was being such a git..."

"Exactly! Remember how his face expression changed from that murderous one, to a very...interested...one? As soon as he found out you were pregnant!"

Hermione knitted her brows together, thinking. She pet Hugo's head while she thought. "It's possible..." she answered. "But why would Malfoy want one of our children? It just doesn't make sense."

"No, but Malfoy never did make a ton of sense, did he? There was always some dark reason behind his thinking. And Hermione-if he does have Rose, than I would walk through hell to get her back. Who knows what he's planning on doing to her?"

Hermione met his eyes. "If that really is what happened, than we sure as hell better find them fast."

**A/N: Getting intense? Hope so...review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

**A/N: Wowww. I am so sorry...you have no idea how utterly horrible I feel having not updated in so long. :( Hopefully this will make up for it...this chapter is a bit longer than they have been lately.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing has changed in the slightest, at least having to do with this...I still own nothing.**

Ron and Hermione sat on the living room couch the rest of the night, in what was almost absolute silence, except for the occasional sniffle from Hermione, or Hugo's on and off crying. Hugo sat in Hermione's lap; Ron paced back and forth beside the couch. Hermione's face seemed much paler than usual, while Ron's was the color of a ripe cherry.

Suddenly, Hermione looked up. "We need to tell Harry and Ginny."

Ron stopped pacing. He turned his head towards her. Slowly, he nodded. "Yes, you're right...we should also let mum know. She'll probably pass out when we tell her, though," he responded in a shaky voice.

Hermione stood up. "Well, there's no time to waste." she stated, and took Ron's heavy hand in her own smaller one, and, still clutching Hugo, they vanished from the spot.

__

"C'mon, Gin, out of bed. I think today we should surprise Ron and Hermione and the twins with a visit. Perhaps we could all go to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley and chat. We haven't seen them lately, and-"

Ginny cut him off. "Alright, alright! I'm getting up!" she laughed airily. The warm, golden sun shone brightly through the windows of the home, lighting up the room with its yellow rays. From the next room, Ginny could hear James and Albus stirring in their shared bedroom, and Lily was more than likely already wide awake in her room, reading or playing with one of her toys from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Ginny sighed happily. This morning seemed to have a blissful feel to it, and Ginny couldn't have been more content.

Harry put his arm around her waist as she rose out of bed, and murmured into her hair, "I love you,"

"I love you too," Ginny smiled seductively. "I'm gonna take a shower, hon." she told him.

"Okay, I'll go make the kids some breakfast." Harry replied.

"Oh, please, Harry," Ginny groaned, "They want a good start to their day, not a nightmare!" she cried with a playful gleam in her eye.

Harry frowned and pretended to cry. "I am not that bad of a cook!" he said defiantly.

His wife punched him in the arm on her way out the door to the bathroom, and called back, "I'll make breakfast; you can all wait 10 minutes!"

Harry grinned.

Just moments after he had regained his position sitting cross-legged on the bed, he distinctly heard a _pop! _from downstairs. His forehead creased with puzzlement, and he stopped only to pull on his robe, and to snatch up his wand from the bedside table. He crept past the bathroom, where he could hear the spray of the shower, and Ginny mindlessly singing to herself. Harry tip-toed down the (luckily) carpeted stairs, taking care to skip the second from the bottom, which always creaked. Reaching the bottom floor, he poked his head around the doorway to look in the sitting room, so he could see who was there. The sight that greeted him made him cry out.

"Ron! Hermione! It's so great to see you! There's Hugo, but where's..." he trailed off, seeing the somber expressions on his friends faces. "What happened?"

The more Harry scrutinized the couple, the more he could tell that something was definitely wrong. They both had dark circles under their eyes, as if they had not slept at all last night. Hermione had a tear streaked face, and her eyes were red and puffy. Ron, on the other hand, did not appear as though he had been crying, but instead looked weary, and his normally bright blue eyes were dull.

"It-it's Rose." answered Hermione.

"She's gone." Ron said bluntly.

"What? She's gone?"

Ron and Hermione both nodded. Hugo let out a sad cry. "Early this morning I went to check on them, and the nursery window was broken open and Rose was just...gone." Hermione explained numbly. "We looked everywhere, but there was nothing. No sign of anything, anywhere."

At this moment, Ginny stepped into the room. She looked from Ron, to Hermione, to Harry. "What's going on?"

"Someone took Rose. They broke into the cottage and took her..." Harry told his wife. "But...why?"

"We don't know!" Hermione wailed. "I have no idea, although Ron was saying that it might be-"

"Malfoy." Ron interjected. He explained what had happened at Three Broomsticks.

Harry put his hand over his forehead as he processed the information. Ginny nodded.

"Well, if Malfoy is the one who took her-and I wouldn't put it past him-than I think that we should all start trailing him fast. If we're wrong, than at least we can rule him out." Ginny reasoned.

The others nodded in agreement. "Well, let's get to it. There isn't time to waste." said Ron. "Would you guys be able to watch Hugo for us while we are away?"

"No Ron, I don't think we can," replied Harry. Before Ron could say anything, he continued, "Ginny and I are coming with you."

"What? No, we couldn't ask you to do that for us."

"Why not? We've done much more together!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yeah, how could we _not _help you? You guys are our best friends." Harry told the couple warmly. "I'm sure your mum would watch the kids for us."

Hermione gave a weak smile, and Harry detected a twinkle in Ron's eye. "This seems like it's going to be an awful long journey..." Hermione said.

"Don't think like that." Harry told her. "Think of it as an adventure. Just like when we were back in school. We've taken care of Malfoy before, and we can do it again."

At this, Ron and Hermione seemed to lighten up just slightly. "I suppose..."

"Next stop--the Burrow!" cried Ron.

**A/N: I hope it's getting better. I might spend some extra time on the next chapter, so be prepared for another wait after this one...hopefully it won't be as long a wait as it was to get this chapter, though! I assure you all, I will do my very best. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

**A/N: alright, everyone. chapter 14, at last. once again, i apologize profusely for the slow updates...but, its sort of either quantity or quality. i opted for quality, and hopefully it will be worth it. cut me some slack, i mean, im on break now, but its christmas holiday, and then school...you get the picture. so. just enjoy this chapter, i'll get the next one up as soon as possible. :)**

**Disclaimer: First of all, do you even actually think for a second that I own Harry Potter? Of course not! So, why must I keep writing these? Only an imprudent fool would have the mind to even consider that I own Harry Potter...but, alas, I do not. He belongs enitrely to a woman by the name of J.K. Rowling.**

Arthur and Molly Weasely were in the middle of a very average beginning to a very average day when they discovered the news. At the time, Molly had just been whipping up some toast and coffee for breakfast for herself and her husband, using her wand to spread the jam and to heat the coffee. Arthur was taking apart a television remote control, very interested in how it managed to control a T.V. ("Such a fascinating, pointless contraption!") and very promptly being scolded for doing so at the kitchen table by his wife. Just as the couple had taken their first bites of toast, the foursome landed in their kitchen.

"For the love of Merlin!" cried Molly, rising from her seat at the table. "My, we weren't really expecting you four this morning, but, as long as your here, you might as well have something to eat," she quickly stepped over to the counter and began making more toast. "Yes, there's still enough for all of you," Molly mumbled as she flicked her wand here and there.

"Sorry, mum, but not today," Ron said, looking at the floor. His blue eyes wandered the room, searching for something-anything-to look at besides his parents. At last, they landed on the battered set of wizard's chess in the corner of the room. Just the sight of the set took Ron back to his childhood. It was certainly a much happier place than he was in now. He stared at the chess set forcefully, willing it to transport him back to a happier time. The chess pieces, of course, were not obliging, and he settled for just the memories. Ron, absorbed in his thoughts, almost missed the rest of the discussion taking place.

"There's something you should know," Hermione stated slowly.

Molly creased her brows in confusion. "What are you talking about, dear?"

Ron took a deep breath, finally removing himself completely from the past. "Rose is missing. Someone...kidnapped her."

Arthur set the T.V. remote on the counter, and turned to face the young adults. "She's gone?"

Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny all nodded miserably. Ron fixed his eyes on the chess set once more. It offered comfort. Hermione looked on at Mrs. Weasely dismally as the woman's eyes hardened.

Molly dropped her head into her palms. "No, no it can't be true..."

"She disappeared last night, but we think we know who did it," Ron offered.

Mrs. Weasely lifted her head. "Who? And why?" Her eyes had become steely, and they glinted with anger and hurt. She could not imagine kidnapping a child, and she resented anyone who would be so heartless as to commit such an act.

"Malfoy." interpolated Harry, "But we're not sure why."

At this, Arthur interjected. "Are you absolutely sure? I mean, you four always seem to point the finger at Malfoy in every situation. I'm not saying that he isn't to blame, or that he wouldn't do such a thing, but-"

"Dad!" exclaimed Ron "How many times have we been _right_?! Third year, he nearly got Buckbeak put down. Fifth year, he was on Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. Sixth year, Malfoy _was _a Death Eater, and he got a bunch other Death Eaters into Hogwarts with that vanishing cabinet. Shall we continue? Not to mention the git's father..."

Arthur sighed. "I understand, son. And it very well could be Malfoy. Just don't be too quick to blame in these kind of situations, when your heart hurts so much that you just want justice, and you don't even care who you step on to get there."

At this, Ron hung his head. "I know, dad...I'm sorry. I just, I really think there's a good possibility that it's him."

"Anyways," Ginny began, eyeing the father and son, "We really should get going. We at least want to rule out Malfoy as a possibility, and find Rose and her captor as soon as possible. We were hoping that you could watch our kids for us while we're away."

"Yes, yes of course." Molly nodded. She took Hugo from Hermione's arms. "But where are James, Lily and Albus?"

Ginny and Harry suddenly faced each other, worry in their eyes. "Harry! We left them there!" Ginny shrieked.

Harry's eyes seemed to turn a shade darker. "Er...hang on, everyone," he said.

Ginny and Harry disappeared, and the rest of the group was silent for awhile as they waited for the couple to return. Less than five minutes later, the family re-appeared. James, Lily, and Albus were all awkwardly hanging on to their parents. The children's faces were contorted with the first-time discomfort of Apparition. As the family landed sturdily on the wooden floor of the kitchen, the mangled mess of bodies struggled momentarily to remove themselves from each other. Upon doing so, they all scrambled to find a seat at the kitchen table and, after the buzz of chit-chat died down, Harry spoke.

"Sorry, guys." he said. "In the shock of Ron and Hermione telling us the news, we sort of rushed to get over here..."

Mrs. Weasely mustered a smile and spoke in a reassuring tone, "Dear, you're still a new parent. Don't be so hard on yourself. I mean, you should hear some of the things that happened to Arthur and I, my-"

"Not the time, dear," Arthur grimaced. "I believe we have, err, more important issues on our hands at the moment."

"Right, right..."

"So, you guys can handle them, I know," Ginny spoke, making a wide gesture to the array of children.

"So, we really need to get going. Rose is out there somewhere...most likely with Malfoy..." Ron scowled. He wrung his hands and glared at the scuffed, wooden floor.

"And we need to find her." finished Hermione. She slung her arm over her husband's shoulders, and gave a weak, reassuring smile. Their eyes met, and in that moment, the couple knew--they would search to the end of the world for Rose, until they found her. Week after week, month after month, if it came to that. Nothing would stop them from finding their daughter.

Ron hugged his mum and dad, and everyone followed suit. Goodbyes were whispered in each others' ears, and Molly and Arthur wished the group luck. With a last waved goodbye from Molly, and a comforting smile from Arthur, the foursome was gone from the Burrow, leaving Molly and Arthur alone once more in their home, with silence restored once again.

Molly turned to Arthur after a minute, and wondered aloud, "I do hope they know what they're doing!"

**A/N: haha, Harry and Ginny forgot the kids! silly silly...lol sorry, I was in a laughable mood when I wrote this. But from now on, I hope they will be less careless, and a bit more thoughtful! Oh wait...I decide how thoughtful or careless they are...REVIEW!**


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